Published April 2021.
The Anglo-Spanish War, 1655-1660
Volume One: The war in the West Indies
In 1655 Oliver Cromwell, England’s Lord Protector, sent a fleet to attack and seize Spanish possessions in South America. The English were flexing their muscles on the international stage and for political, religious and commercial reasons chose to attack a weakened Spain in the West Indies believing it a soft target. In late 1654 possibly the largest military force to date ever to leave English shores set sail from Portsmouth under the command of General Robert Venables and Admiral William Penn.
This is the first of two volumes about the English attack on the Spanish West Indies. This volume extensively analyses the reasons for the English attack, its preparations and plans, and the composition of their army and navy. It describes first the voyage to the West Indies and the expedition’s delay in Barbados and then the attack on Hispaniola, including the many reasons for its dramatic failure. The book then describes the occupation of Jamaica, the beginnings of the Spanish resistance as well as initial English naval operations in the Caribbean in 1655. The English forces were quickly abandoned by their two commanders and left to fend for themselves, facing rampant disease, near starvation and an undefeated enemy. The second volume will continue the story from late 1655 up to the establishment of English civilian government in Jamaica in 1662.
This work draws upon extensive primary source material from England and Spain including a copious quantity of letters and narratives of soldiers and sailors present, from both sides. It is the first detailed account of this important campaign from a military perspective, one that laid the foundations for the state-sponsored expansion of the English empire.
Reviews:
“It is a genuine pleasure to read this volume and I’m already looking forward to the conclusion of the story in the next one. Very well researched, based on numerous primary sources, Sutton’s narrative is easy to follow and quickly engages the reader. Its a fairly unknown conflict, waged thousands of miles from Europe, so it’s great to see it so well presented. Thanks to maps and some period illustrations we can have better understanding of the topic and described locations. Very good addition to the series, interesting for both those that have previous knowledge of the conflict and those that are new to conflicts of the European powers in Caribbean.” Michał Paradowski
“….A well-written, highly detailed narrative of the first stage of the ‘Western Design’. The introductory chapters of the political/strategic background and the composition of the English army and fleet are fascinating in themselves, and then the story rolls on until autumn 1655. A second volume will continue into the early Restoration years. You can’t really beat a combination of the Spanish Main and the Protectorate for an enthralling historical account, and this work does it full justice.” Steve Stanley
“This is volume one of Paul Sutton’s Anglo-Spanish War 1655-1660 mini-series from Helion’s Century of the Soldier and is a very welcome addition to the collection. This is one of those books which is a joy to read because although the current history of the West Indies is known, it is interesting to show how the beginning of what we take for granted was initiated. It is admirable to see the amount of research which has gone into this work.” Rob Anderson
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